RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of survivin protein in the tissues of prostatic carcinoma and its correlation with apoptosis of cancer cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expression of survivin protein and apoptosis index(AI) were detected by immunohistochemical and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transterase-mediated dUTP biotin nich end labeling(TUNEL) technique in the tissues of 42 cases of prostatic carcinima (PCa) and 10 cases of normal prostate (NP).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Survivin prosteins were expressed in 34 of the 42 (80.59%) cases of PCa. The positive rate of survivin was strongly associated with pathological grades, clinical stages and lymphmetastasis in PCa(P < 0.05). In contrast, NP did not express survivin. Survivin protein expression was negatively correlated with AI in PCa(r = -0.679, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Apoptosis inhibition by survivin may participate in the onset and progression of PCa, and the detection of survivin protein and AI in PCa may help to evaluate the degree of cell differentiation, decide therapeutic strategies and estimate prognosis.</p>
